HCA Healthcare announced it will give $500,000 to Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to help establish a clinical simulation lab in support of its new nurse anesthesiology program. This gift is part of HCA Healthcare’s $10 million pledge over three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic serving institutions.
HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprised of 188 hospitals and 2,400+ sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom. In addition to hospitals, sites of care include surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, diagnostic and imaging centers, walk-in clinics and physician clinics. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses our approximately 37 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. At HCA Healthcare, they are excited about the future of medicine and believe they are uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the transformation of care.
Stefanie LaManna, Dean of NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing
“It’s been a long-standing point of pride that our nursing programs – and NSU overall – have such a dedicated and diverse student population,” said Stefanie LaManna, Dean of NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing. “This investment from HCA addresses an important need to provide cutting-edge technologies for our nursing students in the ever-changing health care environment. These advances will ensure the effectiveness of these future professionals who will be better able to provide the very best care to their patients and who are so essential in meeting the need for excellent nurses here in Florida and across the country.”
NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing is an accredited, nationally recognized leader in nursing education, providing a high-caliber health care education. They are embarking on a transformative journey, guided by a commitment to producing life-changing leaders in nursing practice, education, and evidence-based research. The College faculty and curricula adopt the latest technology and innovative teaching strategies, giving future health care providers a cutting-edge educational experience followed by countless career opportunities. Students can attend entirely online or attend on-site classes at NSU’s 314-acre campus in Fort Lauderdale/Davie or at a regional campus in Miami, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Miramar, and Tampa.
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, the anesthesiology workforce may experience a shortage of about 12,500 providers by 2033. To help combat this, NSU is developing a nurse anesthesiology program. This gift from HCA Healthcare will support the faculty and equipment, including clinical simulation labs required to set up nurse anesthesiology training at NSU’s Palm Beach and Fort Myers campus locations.
Sherri Neal, Chief Diversity Officer of HCA Healthcare
“As one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, we understand the importance of building up the next generation of caregivers,” said Sherri Neal, Chief Diversity Officer of HCA Healthcare. “It is our honor to work with Nova Southeastern University as we make strides to address nationwide caregiver shortages.”
Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU – a Hispanic serving institution – is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s “community engagement” classification.
“We are excited that HCA Healthcare is partnering with NSU for the worthy goal of providing our nursing students with a state-of-the-art learning space that will help prepare them for all the challenges they will face in the field,” said NSU President and CEO George L. Hanbury II.
HCA Healthcare and its East Florida Division have a longstanding relationship with NSU. In 2022, East Florida Division made a $250,000 gift, matched by HCA Healthcare, to the university to support scholarships. This combined $500,000 was then matched by Florida’s Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund, a competitive grant program that provided matching funds to nursing education programs and health care providers. The program was created in 2022 to help address the state’s nursing shortage.
“Investing in education and advanced training is essential for the future of healthcare,” said Charles Gressle, HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division President. “This important initiative represents a significant step forward in our mission to foster excellence in medical training and to support the next generation of healthcare leaders.”
HCA Healthcare has a history of partnering with higher education institutions across the country to help strengthen the diversity of the organization’s talent pipeline.
To learn more about Nova Southeastern University, please visit www.nova.edu.